1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation system for starting processing with a drag and drop operation of icons. In particular, the present invention relates to a print control operation system in the case where printing is conducted by using a printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a print output ordering method on an application, there is a method of giving a print order in such a state that a file (data) is opened on the application, opening a property of a printer each time, ordering various print conditions, such as both side recording, covered binding, whether there is a staple, and the number of output copies, as occasion demands, and causing output processing to be executed.
When thus ordering that a desired file should be printed, it is typical that a file is opened necessarily on an application and then printing is ordered. If a desired file is opened on the application each time, however, there is a problem that the operation efficiency is poor and it takes a long time to set output conditions.
As a method for solving this problem, there is a known technique in which print processing is started by so-called drag and drop operation, i.e., dragging an icon representing a document, and superposing and dropping the icon on an icon representing a printer.
In a printer control system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 06 No. 059838, drag and drop operation is detected, and document outputs or document output waiting states connected to a plurality of printers are displayed with icons on the operation screen together with icons representing printers. Furthermore, drag and drop operation is detected, an output destination of a document is altered, an output waiting state of the printer after alteration is displayed with an icon on the operation screen together with an icon representing the printer. Owing to this technique, a job in a queue can be operated by operating icons. For conducting such a different operation, therefore, it is not necessary to display a window. Accordingly, the operation for opening and closing the window can be made unnecessary.
In Japanese Patent Application disclosure Hei 08 No. 511637, there are disclosed a graphical user interface and a method for selectively opening a container object at the time of drag and drop operation. In the case where a window including an icon of drop destination is closed, the closed window is automatically opened in this technique by dragging a different icon onto an icon representing the closed window and conducting some operation. Owing to this technique, the inside of an enclosure can be seen during the drag operation. It is also possible to open the hierarchy of an enclosure contained in a newly opened window. Accordingly, it is possible to access the whole hierarchy of the storage system. As a result, a duplication function and a movement function possessed by the graphical user interface based on the window and icon are improved.
For example, in the case of start of print processing, however, printing might be desired with setting such as paper to be used or specification of reduction printing altered. In such a case, it is impossible in the conventional technique to alter the setting of processing to be started, by dropping. In such a case, it is necessary in the conventional technique to open a file on an application, alter the print processing setting, and then execute printing.